Boldly going where people with a mild sense of self preservation wouldn't really think about for fear of getting hurt for no good reason..

Tuesday 6 December 2011

2012 Gas Gas Enduro Test Day

First Ride: 2012 Gas Gas Evolution Series, EC250 and 300

Intro

Saturday the 3rd of December, not a significant date for most but I had been slowly turning blue with baited breath waiting for it since early July.
During a recent stint in Spain, I was introduced to the world’s second most premier red and white brand, Gas Gas. So taken was I, that during my trip I was fortunate enough to become the owner of a lightly modified 2011 EC250 Racing and immediately became a fan of the non-orange nature of the beast. With a dual power map switch available as standard and a forgiving chassis shod with factory Marzocchi forks and an Ohlins 888 shock, the 2011 bike flattered and spoiled me in equal measures, while effectively offering two bikes in one (wet map for tricky trials type terrain and dry for ripping mx and trail to shreds). With a move back to the UK scheduled, I reluctantly left the GeeGee with the Leon brothers of Gas Gas dealer Sixlyon, Barcelona, took a deep breath of her two stroke scented FMF stealth pipe and jumped on a plane, left only with the promise of blasting her up a Catalunyan rock face in the not too distant future. With that memory fading, I was very keen to ride the heavily revised 2012 GasGas enduro models to rekindle my affair with the Spanish marque.
The venue for the test was in true contrast to the arid terrain I had been used to and I was somewhat concerned that the Spaniards would not acclimatise well, pining for olives and balsamic vinegar. Cowdale Quarry in Buxton, deep in the peak district, would be the location for my first UK trips aboard the sisters from Spain and site of the first Extreme Eddy round of the racing season the following day.
Jon Shirt Jr supplied pre-production models of the 250 and 300cc EC Evolution series. During the previous week I had chatted to Jude of GasGas UK and was lucky enough to secure a ride on both bikes. In addition, one week prior to that conversation had seen me taking some lessons from UK enduro legend, Ady Smith, aboard a 2012 KTM 250 EXC two stroke. A good base for comparison. To be honest I was relatively smitten with the Austrian, as it had devoured everything in its path up in the Welsh hills, leaving me with some tough decisions to make, Paella or Weiner Schnitzel?

Gas Gas EC300 Evolution Series

Pulling my goggles into position before firing the EC300 into life I was a little unsure of what to expect. I had some experience of the 2008 model and found the power delivery a little flat off the bottom and lacking the searing top end hit you would expect from a big bore stroker. The first time the throttle touched the stop in the Derbyshire valley this memory was ejected from my mind like Lynsey Lohan from an AA meeting. Make no mistake, the new 300 has grunt and top end to spare. Around the relatively tight loop available it felt unruly like a true 300 should. Even with the wet map engaged it would rampage through the greasy quarry mulch, despatching any straight line in a splatter of roost. In truth, I found it too much engine given its surroundings, however, others on the day loved the fat (no ph for the kids) bottom end and happily grunted round the tight trail. With my ‘hang on tight this could get interesting’ style, I couldn’t gel with the sharp take up at the bottom end, with a smoother approach, and a more experienced hand, plenty of additional speed could have been gleaned from the bike. In addition, I struggled with what felt like a harsh suspension set up in both the front and the rear, despite being in the ball park for factory settings (80kg wet..), no doubt this could be dialled out, but I was a little surprised given the reputation for plush suspension tagged on the Gassers.


On the subject of weight, the 300 lands on the scales at a barely noticeable 102kg (e-start is available for an additional weight penalty). The weight was verified by dropping the bike several times in the interest of science (not ineptitude..). It really is a feather light machine and combining this with the centre line profile of a super model on Atkins makes the bike feel very manageable. It definitely feels narrower than the orange competition.For me, tipping in at 5’7, the ground was, touch with both feet, close. Gas Gas’ have traditionally been lower than most brands available and this year is no exception. A new sculpted seat with concave profile allows even a shorty like me to put Tech 3 to floor with ease. Handlebars are nice quality, with aluminium fat bars in a grey anodised finish, although I found the rise a little high, for taller riders the set up would work well. The rest of the package seemed roomy enough, but I don’t struggle for comfort on most enduro machines due to my successful Oompa Loompa leg transplant.


To assess handling characteristics on this model was a little difficult. Being first out on the course after a reasonable downpour left me sliding across flat, wet corners. The chassis felt sharp but neutral and would track a line well once pointed in the correct direction. Applying the power would then result in hell breaking loose around the rear wheel spindle but this can safely be attributed to rider malfunction instead of any shortcomings in the geometry package.Braking could be nicely assessed on the short circuit as Shirty had kindly provided a full throttle straight with a tightening radius corner tagged on the end. This lead into a short sharp face followed by a tight right. Full bore approaches to the face could be dealt with by clicking through the slick 6 speed box with the throttle on the stop then stomping on the excellent Nissin brakes and feathering the super light Magura clutch. No complaints in either department here, with only one finger needed to operate both controls. To provide some extra help, the bike came dressed in its best black rubber shoes, Michelin 6 days Extreme, these dealt with the conditions admirably, feeling sure footed under hard braking albeit then being somewhat overcome by the power on tap and slippery conditions.


It wasn’t all Sangria and whack the PiƱata though. A couple of niggles tarnished the experience. The steering lock felt very restrictive to the point where it was tricky to balance on a couple of tight descents. Just where you would require a couple of extra degrees of steering…there was none left. This did allow me to correlate the claimed dry weight with real world testing, but was frustrating nonetheless. Some discussion after the ride revealed that others had similar issues and were also ‘checking the weight’. Fork to frame clearance appears tight, so this may be an area you have to learn to live with as it looks like the lock stops could not be reduced.To make the harsh suspension previously mentioned feel at home, the sneaky Spanish engineers seemed to have replaced the seat with some form of wood or possibly granite. This is not a significant issue when racing as seat time is relatively limited, but, if you ride steady trails or do some road work it could become uncomfortable in a hurry. As a disclaimer the bikes were box fresh and pre production, hence the suspension will bed in and the seat could be subjected to some foam density changes, my experience with the 250 later in the day shed a little light on this dark area.


Overall the 2012 EC300 felt like a well-balanced package. Admittedly for me it has too much power for my small brain to cope with. I would be relatively confident that the suspension issues I felt could be adjusted away and then you would have some competition for the orange army and their hordes of 300EXC. The Gas Gas is certainly in line for the shopping list when you consider the price (£6137 for the GG and £6595 for the KTM on the road) particularly if the electric start option proves reliable.I was that keen to like the 300 that I tried to sweet talk my way into another test with one of the Gas Gas staff on hand. Unfortunately she realised that there was little that could be done to fix my digital interpretation of throttle control and therefore promptly brought my ride on the EC250 forward a couple of hours. This little change allowed me to take my first breath in 5 months and made a difficult choice harder…

Gas Gas EC250 Evolution Series

This is what I like about the fiery Spaniard. Throttle pinned to the stop, the EC250 cuts through the top layer of quarry soil and fills in a couple of innocent spectators. In my fumbling hands the quarter litre ripper finds traction where the 300 cruelly mocked my I/0 throttle control.


For me, the EC250 is a much more manageable proposition than the 300. It shares the excellent brakes, light clutch action and positive shift of the big sister but allowed me to carry more speed through the turns and charge down the narrow straights in a howl of open power valve induced rpm. I was falling for the 250.


The Marzocchi forks and Sachs shock that felt harsh on the 300 seemed to take everything in their stride. A short rock section was dispatched in a manner that Parcel Force would be proud of, the suspension making the geology feel fun to slice through rather than a slippery worry. With the throttle wide open, where it felt best, the little Gasser would rail down the narrow rock littered trail. On the 300 this seemed like traction roulette with red and black equalling fence or tree. The 250 tracked straight and true. I even managed not to run, Enduro Extreme editor, John over as I tried to make my fastest face for his camera. It turns out my fast face isn’t that quick and he can sprint when he needs to.


It’s easy to tell that straight away I was feeling much more at home on the 250. The ergonomics even seemed to have improved, but the bars appeared identical and the peg to seat relationship is the same. The mind is a crazy thing…The engine does have a similar feel to the 300, with a lazier bottom end compared to the equivalent KTM, but this makes it more manageable in the slippery conditions. For my riding the 250 would let me get into the meat of its power, where things start to get blurry, with out being intimidating like the 300. Despite the track bedding in with use, my heart beat stopwatch clocked me as calmer and probably quicker on the 250. I certainly experienced less arm pump as the ‘little’ bike wasn’t trying to make me play human buckaroo at every opportunity, despite my best attempts.


Fortunately for me it appeared that on the 250 the suspension and seat had either bedded in (mid morning session) or were running a different setting. It’s possible that the factory are running softer springs in the 250 or reduced compression damping, but this info wasn’t available on the day. What is evident is that in this guise the bike works and works really well. The extra cherry on top is that the Gas Gas is now a stunning bike in all guises. The 2011 model was no school disco leftover, but the latest offering is quite special. It wears its corporate red very well and flashes a little bit of new technology to the watching eyes of the genre. Fresh for this model are one piece plastics contributing to the narrow feel, in built under seat grab handles and a new plastic sub-frame come airbox. There have been some issues with this component that have caused delays to production but bikes will be trundling down the line in a months time so we can assume these problems have been solved. The air filter uses cartridge technology, allegedly borrowed from Nascar. This doesn’t really explain why both motors are potent, but it does allow easy access to change filters mid race or in the garage without removing the seat. Time will tell how the new airbox and sub-frame work out, but next year Cervantes, Nambotin and Figueras will be putting the new bikes through their paces, so inevitably competition will work out any niggles.


As I make no secret that I am slightly enamoured with the Gas Gas, it may come as a surprise to learn that I would still consider the Weiner Schnitzel 250 as a potential purchase. However it is testament to the quality of the Gasser that it would take a back-to-back test to truly split the models. From memory the KTM would take it for ergonomics, with the Spaniard being lighter, more manageable and arguably a livelier ride. When you bring costs into the equation, £5887 for the EC and £6395 for the KTM on the road, things get more difficult. A lower price with an equivalent spec and change to swap the bars? How about putting a proper torque wrench in the works by considering the, soon to be available, EC 250 racing model? £100 more expensive than the KTM but with Ohlins in the back, Marzocchi closed cartridge front forks, Talon rear sprocket, Renthal twin wall bars and even more jaw dropping decals than the series model. It’s going to be a good Christmas!

Verdict

Travelling to this test I was nervous for GasGas. The Spanish economy is in a precarious position at present, with the motorcycle industry globally tottering on the edge of a cutting instrument. I needn’t have worried. Despite substantial revisions to the enduro models, including front and rear frames, both bikes retain the familiar Gas Gas feel. The engines are punchy, and despite the 300 being tricky for me to use in the conditions, fans of 300s were overheard praising the usability of the power plant. The chassis’ are a strong point, particularly the out of the box suspension on the small machine and the bikes rabid but approachable nature.It’s clear that my favourite was the 250, it is certainly a competitor for the KTM I sampled in the Welsh countryside but with advantages in weight and cost. When I grow up a bit I’ll come and have another look at the 300. In my opinion the screaming 250 is a very convincing argument for raiding the piggy bank and giving Spain’s economy a welcome boost while escaping the heard of orange sheep invading the UK enduro scene. If you want to roost them into the weeds slideways, the 300 is an option.Sorry piggy, pass the hammer I want some Paella..

3 comments:

  1. "The air filter uses cartridge technology, allegedly borrowed from Nascar" ??? i don't understand, you have tested the models with this kind of air filter ??? i know that they already change it with the old one.

    "but next year Cervantes, Nambotin and Figueras"
    nambo is no more a GG rider ;)

    I also rode bouth 250 and 300 but 2011 models, and my short conclusion is: 250 if you want to be fast on enduro tracks and 300 if you prefer extreme tracks. i'm not a pro rider but i can handle the expert class from redbull romaniacs.

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  2. Hi Stefan,
    Thanks for your comments these bikes were pre-production models tested at the end of December 2011. As I understand it they still had the old airbox design.
    I saw the news about Nambotin after I wrote the article, I hope he still has a good season!

    I think you are right. That was the impression I got from these bikes. I think if you can handle the Expert class from Romaniacs you are in a good position to judge the performance of both models! Will you ride the event this year?

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  3. 'End of December' should read end of November...

    ReplyDelete